Could TFT Be to GURPS What 5E Is to D&D?

[flankspeed]

Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons has been a great success for Wizards of the Coast by simplifying both the complexity of 3rd Edition and the extremely detailed tactical focus of 4th Edition.

Could TFT provide a “GURPS Extra-Light” experience that offers just the right “Goldilocks Zone” of simpler rules, streamlined combat, and Game Master agency for house rules that 5th Edition has brought to D&D?

Judging from the way the Kickstarter is going like gangbusters, I’m beginning to entertain the thought that TFT is The Little Engine That Could, or rather, The Feisty Train That Could.

Go Feisty Train! Go TFT!

[zot]

Originally Posted by flankspeed

Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons has been a great success for Wizards of the Coast by simplifying the complexity of 3rd Edition and the extremely detailed tactical focus of 4th Edition.

Could TFT provide a “GURPS Extra-Light” experience that offers just the right “Goldilocks Zone” of simpler rules, streamlined combat, and Game Master agency for house rules that 5th Edition has brought to D&D?

Judging from the way the Kickstarter is going like gangbusters, I’m beginning to entertain the thought that TFT is The Little Engine that Could, or rather, The Feisty Train That Could.

Go Feisty Train! Go TFT!

That's certainly where it fits for me. I started with TFT as soon as it came out and I've been playing Fate and Fate-related games for about 13 years, so I'm a rules-light, story-heavy, person.

Getting back into TFT has been really fun for me and I'm loving where it looks to be headed, too!

[larsdangly]

I don't have anything negative to say about GURPS: it is a great game and will continue to stand on its own, if only by virtue of its unbelievable back catalogue of supplements, But I think if TFT has a breakout into the wider roleplaying community (most likely the OSR crowd, at least at first), it will be for the reason you suggest. I've played a lot of GURPS and TFT, and I think it is pretty clear that the latter is just more fun as a game: it is easy to pick up and set aside; it is very quick playing and dynamic; it has tactile components; the writing and spells and monsters and so forth are fun, creative and zippy. The whole thing is just very accessible. There is a non-negligible chance that we could see tens of thousands of people playing it in a couple of years, which constitute a '5E-like' take over of a slice of the hobby.

[stefanj]

This occurred to me when thinking of questions for Steve's Q&A. Could TFT be a light-duty RPG that breaks out in places like Target?



And he answered it!


"It depends" is the short version of the answer. We need to promote this KS and the game.

[philreed]

Originally Posted by stefanj

"It depends" is the short version of the answer. We need to promote this KS and the game.

I know from experience that game buyers at stores keep an eye on Kickstarter and, if a game does remarkable, they sometimes try to bring it into the chain.

[JLV]

We'll just have to keep pushing for "remarkable" then! ;-)

[Anthony]

TFT could be a light duty RPG. It could not be what 5e is to D&D, because it's simply not a version of GURPS, it's a different game.

[flankspeed]

Originally Posted by Anthony

TFT could be a light duty RPG. It could not be what 5e is to D&D, because it's simply not a version of GURPS, it's a different game.

True enough. I do appreciate the distinction.

How about: “Could TFT do for Steve Jackson Games what D&D 5th Edition has done for Wizards of the Coast?”

[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by flankspeed

True enough. I do appreciate the distinction.

How about: “Could TFT do for Steve Jackson Games what D&D 5th Edition has done for Wizards of the Coast?”

To do that, TFT would have to overtake GURPS and become SJGames main RPG. I don't know if that is possible, but it's not on the cards at the moment. It's a nice dream to have though 😊

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by Anthony

TFT could be a light duty RPG. It could not be what 5e is to D&D, because it's simply not a version of GURPS, it's a different game.

A)
5E D&D is at least as mechanically distant from both AD&D and D&D 4E as GURPS is from TFT. Magic works by different rules; skills as well. Likewise, different methods of skill resolution.

B)
Fiduciarily, it might also be the 5E equivalent - the game that takes off by meeting an unmet need in the marketplace which its predecessor couldn't due to difference in mechanical depth.

Until it hits stores, we won't know if B is true or not. (Unless, of course, TFTLE generates a stupidly high income pulse.)

And A isn't that important; 4E still sells in PDF, even as its not being expanded, because it's a slow-selling game with a fanbase that largely isn't interested in the conceptually much different 5E mechanics. And AD&D (both editions thereof) still have hard-core fans, as well... in both cases, the mechanical differences are the reason for continued sales, but also are why 5E D&D outsells them both combined on both a year by year and total line to date basis.

Could TFT do that to SJG's RPG lines? Well - It might do that to GURPS, and certainly will draw some marginal GURPS players into its much less complex mechanics, and it's slightly different but much narrower emphasis. It probably won't impact In Nomine - unrelated thematically, mechanically, and in setting. And it's unlikely to displace the few people left who treat Car Wars as an RPG. Dungeon Fantasy is more likely to be impacted than GURPS 4E - being a simplified GURPS, it's the area most overlapping with TFT; still, given the differences, DF is likely to still appeal to a midpoint between GURPS and TFT in mechanical complexity. I can't think of any other SJG RPGs.